Car truck



Oct. 24,1939. J, J LAZNA 2,176,909

I CAR TRUCK Original Filed March 31, 1934 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 Q INVENTOR:

.famesl Lqzna we; KM

5w ATTORNEY Oct. 24, 1939.

J. J. LAZNA CAR TRUCK Original Filed March 31, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WW I INVENTOR. James flazwa mu 'KQATTORNEY J. J. LAZNA Oct. 24; 1939.

CAR TRUCK Original Filed March 51, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR: James Ila/272w fianATToRNEY J. J. LAZNA Oct. 24, 1939.

CAR TRUCK Original Filed March 31, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. I J'ames .flazzza.

Patented Oct. 24, 1939 can. TRUCK James J. Lama, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 31, 1934, Serial No. 718,394 Renewed April 13, 1938 29 Claims. (01. 105-197) enabling the retention of the advantages thereof while at the same time insuring in a novel manner against undesired spring oscillation. A more specific feature of the invention comprises friction shoes associated with the bolster, which shoes extend through openings in a shelf of the side frame and cooperate with springs below the shelf for supporting said bolster. The invention further provides a friction member on said side frame shelf, against which friction member the shoes are wedged by the bolster for generating frictionv to snub spring oscillations. Another particular feature of the invention resides in provisions for maintaining the bolster, friction shoes, friction member, and upper bolster-supporting springs in assembled relation, whereby these elements may be inserted as a unit into cooperative relation with the side frame. vThe invention additionally comprises a friction member adapted to cooperate with the shoes aforesaid, and so related to the upper bolster-supporting springs that the latter prevent upward movement with the friction shoes during recoil, and cause the grip of said shoes on said member to be broken. Other features andadvantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in vertical section, illustrating a portion of a car truck in which an embodiment of my invention is included, said view being taken on line l-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a view in plan and horizontal section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 33 61 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in end elevation of one of the friction shoes.

Fig. 6 is a detail side-elevational view of said shoe.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modified form of the invention, said view being taken on line of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional'view on line 8--8 of Fig. '7.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown at A a portion of a side frame of a car truck having a window 2 for the reception of the bolster B. The side frame illustrated is the same as those shown in the Shafer patent above specified; being formed below the window with a portion designatedgenerally by the numeral 3, within which springs 4, 5, are adapted to be seated and housed, said portion 3 comprising a bottom shelf 6, a. top flange or shelf 1, and side walls 8, 9. Said side walls are integral with said shelves 6, 1 and also with the side walls 10 of the inclined tension members C. It will, of course,.be understood thal a similar side frame cooperates with the opposite end of the bolster B; but for purposes of the present invention a consideration of the cooperation between one side frame and the bolster B is sufficient.

As in Patent No. 1,973,664 above mentioned, each end of the bolster B is hollow and receives a pair of springs ll, 12 arranged longitudinally of the bolster. Lugs or projections 13, integral with the bolster, extend downwardly therefrom through openings 14 in the shelf 1. These lugs I3, two of which are provided on each end of the bolster and project through openings in the shelf of the associated side frame, serve to tie the two side frames of the truck together, in the same manner as do the corresponding bolster lugs in the previously mentioned patent. In carrying out my present invention, however, the lugs I3 are not only hollow and open-ended, but are U- shaped or arcuate in cross section, providing an open side or slot [3, as shown in Fig. 2. Also the portion of the bolster at the base of each of said lugs is wedge-shaped as indicated at l5.

Within each lug I3 I mount a friction shoe member l6 having a wedge-shaped upper end for engagement with the corresponding wedge portion of the bolster. Each of said friction shoes l6 extends downwardly through the corresponding lug I3 and beyond the lower end thereof for engagement with a spring cap I! on the corresponding spring 4 or 5. The spring caps I! each of member I 9 projects upwardly into the hollow interior 24 of the associated shoe I6.

Seated on top of the shelf 1 and interposed between the springs II, I2 is a friction member 25. This member comprises an intermediate web portion 25', curved on its sides to conform to the space between said springs (Fig. '2) and two vertically extending portions 26, 26, the opposite faces of sides of which provide friction surfaces engaged by the respective shoes I6, I6. Said portions 26, 26 are shown projecting downwardly through the holes I4 in the shelf 1 in engagement with the respective shoes aforesaid, the total vertical extent of each portion 26being substantially that of the friction face of the adjacent shoe.

In addition to the vertical friction portions 26, 26, the member 25 comprises horizontal extensions or plate portions 21, 21, underlying the respective springs II, I2. Each of said plates or extensions 21, 21 comprises an upwardly extending portion 21' projecting within the corresponding spring and serving to center the atter. Bosses 28, 28 also extend downwardly from the bolster into said'springs and assist in the centering thereof. Bolts 29, each extending through a corresponding boss 28 and plate portion 21', maintain the springs II, I2, and friction member 25, together with its friction portions 26 and spring plate portions 21, in assembled relation to the bolster.

Each shoe I6 may be readily inserted inits corresponding bolster lug I 3 by slipping said shoe through the open side I3 of said lug until shoulders 30 on opposite sides of said shoe pass over inwardly extending ledges 3| on said lug I3. The ledges aforesaid, in cooperation with said shoulders, prevent the shoes I6 from dropping through the open ends of the lugs I3. After. the shoes aforesaid are in place the assembly of the bolster and associated parts above described may be completed by positioning the springs II and I2 in the hollow end of the bolster; inserting the friction member 25 with its web 25 between said springs, its horizontal extensions 21, 21 underlying said springs, and its vertical extensions 26, 26 engaging the opposed faces of the respective shoes I6, I6; and then tying together the aforesaid extensions 21, 21 and the bolster by the bolts 29, 29. The springs, friction member, and friction shoes are now held as a unit in assembled relation to the bolster. The parts in the other end of the bolster, which are duplicates of those above mentioned, are assembled and held in the bolster in like fashion; and the bolster may then be fitted to the side frames by simply blocking up said bolster, slipping each side frame laterally over the corresponding bolster end, and then removing the blocking with consequent lowering of the bolster until the lugs I3 and shoes I6 pass through the holes II 'in the side frame'shelves and rest upon the spring caps I1. The bolster is now supported on each side frame both by the upper springs II I2 thereof and-bythe lower springs I, 5 in cooperation with the shoes I6.

If the bolster now moves downwardly from its normal position shown in Fig. 1, such downward movement is resisted not only by the springs I, 5, and II, I2, but also by the friction generated between the shoes I6 and the cooperating faces of the friction member portions 26, said shoes being forced into intimate frictional engagement with said friction faces by the wedge surfaces I5 of the bolster and'the cooperating wedge surfaces of said shoes. The friction developed between said shoes and the friction member 25 not only augments the action of the springs in absorbing impacts or shocks applied to the bolster, but also by snubbing the downward movement of the bolster, prevents the arising of harmonic or otherwise undesirable vibrations of the springs. During the recoil of the springs, the shoes I6 are also pressed against the friction surfaces of the member 25 with resultant generation of friction and absorbing of energy, whereby said recoil is dampened. It will be apparent that, if desired, the friction surfaces of the extensions 26, 26 could be 'tapered inwardly from top to bottom, and the friction shoe surfaces correspondingly tapered, with consequent provision of greater friction during upward movement of the shoes than during their downward movement, though untapered surfaces as illustrated provide a substantial dampening of the spring recoil and also develop greater friction during downward movement of the shoes than would be obtained if they were tapered as mentioned above. If desired, the friction surfaces of member 26, 26

can be tapered outwardly from top to bottom, thus increasing the snubbing action-upon downward movement of the bolster.

The extensions 21, 21 of the friction member not only serve to receive the lower ends of the springs II, I2, but also in cooperation with said springs prevent said friction member from moving upwardly with the shoes I6 during recoil of the bolster-supporting springs. Through the action of the springs II, I2 on said extensions, the friction member 25 is continuously pressed downwardly against the shelf 1, whereby the grip of the shoes I6 on the friction portions 26, 26 of said friction member during rising of said shoes is broken and said friction member is held against rising with said shoes. Generation of friction between said shoes and friction member for snubbing the spring recoil is thus assured.

. It may be noted that during wear of either shoe I6 the latter moves inwardly or laterally in its associated bolster lug I3 permitting the bolster to move downwardly and lowering the retaining ledge 3I in said lug. Said ledge thus does not prevent the shoe from performing its functions during wearing away thereof.

To disassemble the truck for wheelchange or hangers disconnected from the hanger brackets 32 on the side frames. The-bolster is then raised until the shoes I6 clear the shelf 1, after which the side frames may be readily removed.

The columns 2' of the side frame are shown Z-shaped in cross section and as converging from the inside of said side frame to the outside thereof; and the sides 33, 33 of the end portion of the bolster similarly converge to correspondwith the angle of said columns 2'. The lateral lugs 34 of said columns are adapted to be engaged by end portions 35 of the bolster on opposite sides of the spring II, upo'n; endwise thrust of the bolster, at the same time that the converging sides 33 of said bolster engage the inclined columns aforesaid, This arrangement of side frame columns and bolster contour is the same as that disclosed in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 of the aforesaid Patent No. 1,973,664.

surfaces may, however, be curved as shown in Figs. '7 and 8. In the latter views the parts are the same as those illustrated in Figures l-6, with the exception that the friction faces of the respective shoes IS in Figs. 7 and 8 are curved, and the cooperating faces of the vertical extensions 26' of the friction member 25 are correspondingly curved. Elements in Figs. '7 and 8 corresponding to those in Figs. 1-6 are designated by the same reference numerals, except the shoes l6, friction member 25" and extensions 26' aforesaid.

It will be apparent that the shoes and friction member of my invention may be readily replaced when necessary. Also it may be noted that through my invention the prevention of undesirable oscillations of the bolster supporting springs is effectively accomplished without sacrifice of theadvantages of car trucks of the type disclosed in the previously mentioned patent.

Matter disclosed but not claimed herein is claimed in Patent No. 1,973,664, above specified.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, spring means on said side frame above and below said shelf for supporting said. bolster, friction means, and wedge means on said bolster coacting with said friction means in response to relative movement of said bolster and side'frame for snubbing os-.

cillations of said spring means.

2. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, spring means on said side frame below saidshelf for supporting said bolster, friction means on said side frame above said shelf, a portion of said friction means extending through said shelf and into engagement with said spring means, and wedge means coacting with said friction means in response to relative movement of said bolster and side frame for snubbing oscillations of said spring means.

3. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, spring means on said side frame entirely below said shelf for supporting said bolster, a friction member on said side frame above said shelf, a friction element movable with respect to said member, and wedge means on said bolster for causing said member and element to generate friction in response to relative movement of the bolster and.

side frame for snubbing oscillations of said spring means. 7

4. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, spring means on said side frame entirely above and entirely below said shelf for supporting said bolster, a friction member on said side frame, a friction element movable with respect to said member,

, side frame for snubbing oscillations of said spring means.

5. ma car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, means projecting from said bolster through an opening in said shelf," spring means on said side frame below said shelf and cooperatingwith said projecting means for supporting the bolster, a friction member on said side frame above said shelf, and wedge means for forcing said projecting means into frictional engagement with said friction member during movement of said bolster with respect to said side frame.

6. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, means projecting from said bolster through an opening in said shelf, spring means on said side frame above and below said shelf for supporting the bolster, and friction means cooperating with said projecting means and said side frame for snubbing oscillations of said spring means.

7. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, said bolster having a wedge portion, an element extending through an opening in said shelf, spring means on said side frame below said shelf and cooperating with said element for supporting said bolster, said element having a wedge portion cooperating with the wedge portion of said bolster, and a friction member on said side frame above said shelf and engaged by said element for snubbing oscillations of said spring means.

8. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, an extension projecting from said bolster through an opening in said shelf, said extension having a hollow interior and an open side, a member in the interior of said extension and projecting downwardly therethrough and outwardly through the openside thereof, said member having a wedge shaped upper end and the bolster having a wedge portion engaged thereby, spring means below said shelf and cooperating with said memher for supporting the bolster, and a friction element on the side frame above said shelf and engaged by said member to generate friction during relative movement of the bolster and side frame for snubbing oscillations of said spring means.

9. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, extensions on said bolster each having a hollow interior and an open side, a plurality of members each mounted in a corresponding one of said extensions, each of said members projecting downwardly through an opening in the side frame shelf and outwardly through the open side of the further having a wedge surface cooperating with a corresponding wedge surface on the bolster, spring. means on the, side frame beneath said shelf and cooperating with said members for supporting the bolster, and friction means on the side frame above the shelf interposed between and engageable by said members for generating friction during relative movement of the bolster and side frame for snubbing oscillations of said spring means.

10. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening and having extensions projecting through Op in Said shelf, each extension having a hollow interior and an open side, a pluralitycf members each posicorresponding extension, each of said members tioned in a corresponding one of said extensions,

each said member extending downwardly through the corresponding extension and outwardly through the open side thereof, each extension having means preventing the corresponding member from dropping out of said extension, spring means on the side frame below said shelf and cooperating with said members for supporting said bolster, friction means on the side frame above said shelf and engageable by said members, and wedge means on the bolster for forcing said members into frictional engagement with said friction means.

11. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, members -ex-.

tending downwardly through openings in said shelf, spring means on the side frame below said shelf and cooperating with said members for supporting the bolster, a friction element mounted on said shelf and having side portions engaged by, said members, and wedge means on the bolster cooperating with said'members for forcing the latter into frictional engagement with said friction element.

12. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, a friction member on said shelf and having extensions,

13. A bolster having a downwardly opening hollow end portion, a pair of coil springs in said hollow end portion, a friction element having extensions underlying said springs and having vertically extending friction surfaces intermediate said'springs, and means maintaining said fric-- tion element and said springs in vertically assembled relation to said bolster. 1

14. A bolster having a downwardly opening hollow end portion, a plurality of coil springs in said portion, a friction element having extensions underlying said springs and vertically extending friction surfaces intermediate said springs, and bolts passing through said bolster and said extensions for maintaining said bolster, springs, and extensions in vertically assembled relation to each other. 7

15. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening and having a hollow end portion, springs above said shelf portion of the side frame and within the hollow end portion of the bolster for supporting said bolster, a. friction member seated on said shelf portion, said friction member having extensions underlying said springs and vertically extending friction surfaces intermediate said springs, friction shoes projecting through openings in said shelf, wedge means on said bolster cooperating with said shoes for forcing the latter into engagement with said friction member, and spring means on the side frame below said shelf for operating with said friction shoes to support t e bolster.

2,17e,eoo

16. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, a friction member, friction shoes extending through openings'in said shelf, spring means on said side frame below said shelf v and cooperating with said shoes for supporting said bolster, wedging means on said bolster for forcing said shoes into frictional engagement with said friction member to snub oscillations of said spring means, and spring means above said shelf for resisting rising of said friction member with said shoes during recoil of the first mentioned spring means.

17. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening with a'shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, spring means on said-side frame below said shelf for supporting said bolster, friction shoe means exterior to said spring means and engaging the same, a friction member, wedging means for forcing said friction shoe means into frictional engagement with said friction member to snub oscillations of said spring means, and means resisting rising of said friction member with said friction shoe means during recoil of said spring means.

18. A car truck bolster having a lug depending from anend thereof, said lug having a hollow interior andan open side, and a friction shoe in said lug.

19. A car truck bolster having a hollow lug depending from an end thereof, said lug having an open side and being open at its lower end, a friction shoe in said lugv and projecting through said end, and means for preventing said shoe from dropping through said end. I

20. A car truck bolster having a lug depending from an end thereof, said lug having a hollow interior and an open side, and a friction shoe in said lug, said bolster having a wedging engagernent with said shoe.

21. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening with a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening, spring means on said side frame below said shelf for supporting said bolster, a friction member above said shelf, frictionshoe means engaging said spring means, wedging means for forcing said friction shoe means into frictional eng'agement with said friction member to snug oscillations of said spring means, and means resisting rising of said friction member upon upa ward movement of said shoe means during recoil of said spring means.

22,. A bolster having a downwardly opening hollow end portion, aplurality of coil springs in said portion, friction shoes within said portion, a

friction element having extensions underlying underlying said springs and vertically extending friction surfaces intermediate said. springs, and means passing through said bolster and said extensions for maintaining saidbolster, springs,

shoes and friction member in assembled relation -to each other 24. A car truck bolster having a pair of hollow downwardly extending lugs at one end thereof, said lugs being provided with inclined wedge sur faces. v Y

25. A car truck bolster having a pair of hollow downwardly extending lugs at one end thereof,-

said lugs being provided internally with inclined wedge surfaces.

26. A car truck bolster having a pair of hollow downwardly extending lugs at one end thereof,

v at least a portion of said lugs being arcuate in cross-section and adapted to internally receive .and cooperate with friction shoes.

27. A car truck comprising a side frame having a bolster receiving opening, a bolster, a plurality of spring means for supporting said bolster in said opening, means between said bolster and certain of said spring means for damping oscillations of all of said spring means, said'bolster 20 being so constructed and arrangedthat it may 5 said shelf having apertures therein, a bolster having an end extending into said opening, a d

bolster having projections extending, downwardly into said apertures for tying said side frame and bolster together, said bolster having wedging means associated therewith, spring means on said side frame above and below said shelf for supporting said bolster, and friction means at least partially supported on said lower spring means cooperating with said wedging means in response to relative movement of said bolster and side frame for snubbing oscillations of said spring means.

29. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a hollow spring receiving portion therebelow, a bolster having an end extending into said opening and a depending projection extending into said spring receiving portion, spring means on said side frame for supporting said bolster, a friction member supported by said side frame, another friction member supported by certain of said bolster supporting spring means in frictional engagement with said first named friction member, and wedge means associated with said bolster for actuating said second named friction member to snub oscillations of all of said spring means.

' JAMES J. LAZNA. 

